And then she thought of it. It was so obvious . . . Fear had paralysed her and indecision had almost sent her into the crossroads with Erik sitting innocently in the back seat. She was such an idiot, she thought to herself as she pressed the clutch and shifted down to first so that the engine brake kicked in.

Then she drove the car calmly and in a controlled manner into the ditch, without causing any injury to life or property.

47. Kerstin

47

Kerstin

THE SUN SET slowly behind the wall, making the ancient stones on top look red hot. The wind had dropped and the flags were slack. The shops in the Östercentrum shopping centre were shuttered for the day and the people crisscrossing the square since the morning had dissipated. The plants in the beds between the benches emitted stronger scents at this time of day, and if she ignored the jabbering of her friends then Kerstin could clearly make out the low humming of the insects in the flowerboxes.

Now that the dust had settled following Jeanette’s suicide attempt, and Kerstin had managed to gather her thoughts after Sandra’s unexpected proposal, she realised that there was one thread she hadn’t followed up on properly. Something that seemed less important than people’s lives, and that she had not focussed on for that reason. But since they had found Peter Norling’s remains the question had become far more pertinent: where on earth had the money gone?

It had to be somewhere, and it was unlikely to be in a bank account, given that the money laundering laws these days didn’t let banks accept big sums like that without meticulous paperwork documenting its legitimate source. And there wasn’t any. Even if the cash had been laundered, it would be tough for anyone to justify a deposit of that size. Or an acquisition. The money had to be spent with restraint in limited amounts.

But where could it be? According to Jeanette, Norling had taken care of it and hidden it somewhere no one would find it. That sounded promising as far as Kerstin was concerned, as it was likely no one else would have stumbled across it. But it might also mean it was so well hidden that Kerstin wouldn’t be able to find it either, despite the fact that she—unlike almost everyone else—knew that it existed. As far as she understood, it was enough to fill two sports holdalls, and must weigh a fair bit. That wasn’t exactly the kind of thing you hid behind the books in your bookcase.

When it was time to head home, Kerstin fell into step with Jeanette.

“You’re not thinking about . . . doing that again, are you?” she asked cautiously.

Jeanette shrugged her shoulders as if it barely mattered to anyone else, let alone herself.

“Not today, if that’s what you’re wondering,” she said.